1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool for integrating applications for a data processing platform constituted by a network of machines running a plurality of heterogeneous applications.
2. Description of Related Art
In current practice, these platforms are systems which are most often "production oriented systems." In this respect, they have the same function as the traditional "mainframes" from high-end computer manufacturers. This means that they must exert a high level of control over requests for services from the client-user ("customer service requests").
Generally, a platform of this type is delivered to the customer that ordered it, equipped with software integrated at the manufacturer's assembly plant. Part of this software is constituted by service applications whose purpose is to improve the administration, security, availability, automation and productivity of the platform.
For simplicity of language, in the text below a "service application" will be designated by the term "service."
However, at any time, the client may need to integrate a new application in such a way that it is supported by these services, in as short a time as possible.
The integration of the application takes place after its development phase. It must be carried out without tampering with the source code of any of the compiled programs of the platform.
It will be recalled that an application is a set of objects, which may be:
programs, transactions, libraries, PA1 scripts (command scripts to one skilled in the art), PA1 description files and data, PA1 configuration files, PA1 print report group, PA1 log files, etc. PA1 means for entering information for integrating the new application so as to allow it to be supported by all or some of the services, PA1 means for converting the integration information into a set of commands for integrating the application into the services.
In order to support the application to be integrated, each service offered by the platform must provide an interface with the objects of this application without modifying them. For example, if the application supplies log files, it can be managed by monitoring these files.
Generally, a platform comprises dozens of services. Each of these has its own mechanism for integrating any application to be installed. In general, it has a graphical interface of its own which allows it to integrate the application installed. Graphical interfaces of this type are described, for example, in the French patent applications Nos. 95 01236, 95 08851 and 96 08161 filed by the assignee of said applications with the respective titles "Tool for generating and executing graphical interface commands", "Application integration architecture for a data processing platform", AND "Protected application launcher with graphical interface". Including the time required to train human operators to perform it, the integration requires at least half a day (sometimes several days) per service, that is, at least one week for ten services. It must also be noted that once the application has been integrated into a service, it is then necessary to learn how to use it: integration and utilization are two separate and independent processes. Therefore, the integration of a new application is an expensive operation.
Moreover, with the current technology, the risk of error during an integration is high, since it is most often performed by customers too rapidly. Furthermore, with this method, the launching of each application to be integrated is long and difficult, since it is necessary to repeat the same operations at each site (the geographical location where a machine belonging to the platform is located).